Russia Claims Nearly 900 Ukrainian Drones Downed as Moscow Region Hit in Major Attack

MOSCOW/KYIV (Terror Monitor) — Russia said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed nearly 900 Ukrainian drones in a major overnight assault that targeted Moscow and several other Russian regions, in one of the largest waves of Ukrainian long-range attacks since the start of the war.

The Russian Defense Ministry said hundreds of drones were detected and destroyed overnight, while Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 650 drones had been heading toward the Russian capital and surrounding Moscow region between Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

Sobyanin said most of the drones were destroyed at a considerable distance from Moscow, while 105 were shot down as they approached the city. He later reported that another 68 drones targeting Moscow were intercepted during daylight hours on Tuesday.

The attacks caused casualties and damage across the Moscow region. Governor Andrei Vorobyov said two people were killed and nine others injured. The dead included a 71-year-old man who was found beneath the rubble of a damaged house and a 20-year-old man found in a nearby village. Several residential buildings and vehicles were also damaged, while electricity supplies to some villages were disrupted.

Fuel Facility Reportedly Hit

One of the most significant developments was the reported impact on a major fuel storage and distribution facility in the Moscow region.

Russian military bloggers reported that a fuel storage tank at the Volodarskaya oil storage and distribution facility, one of the largest such facilities in the Moscow region, was hit during the attack. The facility is connected to the Transneft pipeline network and supplies fuel to major airports serving the capital.

Videos circulated online appeared to show a large fire in the area, but the footage and the exact extent of damage could not be independently verified. Reuters reported that Russian military bloggers said the facility had been hit.

Russian authorities also reported fires and damage at other sites in the Moscow region, including a warehouse operated by Russian e-commerce company Wildberries.

Ukraine has not publicly claimed responsibility for every drone launched during the latest wave. Kyiv has, however, increasingly used long-range drones to strike Russian military, energy and industrial infrastructure deep inside Russian territory.

Ukraine Targets Russia's Oil Industry

The latest attack comes as Ukraine has intensified a campaign against Russia's oil refineries, fuel depots and other energy infrastructure.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry said on October 4 that its long-range strikes had put 51% of Russia's oil-refining capacity out of action. The Ukrainian assessment included facilities in Moscow, Yaroslavl, Ust-Luga, Perm, Saratov and Syzran.

The figure has not been independently verified, although Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that Ukrainian attacks on refineries have caused significant economic damage, estimating that they had reduced Russia's gross domestic product by about 1%.

Repeated Ukrainian strikes have contributed to fuel shortages inside Russia, with authorities imposing restrictions on gasoline sales in some areas. Russia has also extended restrictions on diesel exports, further tightening international fuel markets.

U.S. President Donald Trump has previously urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop attacks on Russian diesel-producing facilities, arguing that the strikes were contributing to fuel shortages and higher prices. The Kremlin welcomed Trump's call, although Moscow also blamed broader geopolitical tensions, including the conflict in the Gulf region, for instability in global energy markets.

Russia Strikes Bridge in Zaporizhzhia

While Ukrainian drones were hitting targets inside Russia, Russian forces continued their own aerial campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure.

In the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, Russian forces struck one of the bridges crossing the Dnipro River during an overnight attack, according to Mykhailo Semikin, the acting head of the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration.

The strike damaged the bridge and temporarily restricted traffic. Five people were injured, including two Red Cross workers who were travelling to work at the time of the attack. The injured also included two women and another man, according to Ukrainian authorities.

The bridge attack followed several days of Russian strikes targeting bridges and other infrastructure in Kyiv. Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of attempting to disrupt transportation and make daily life more difficult for civilians.

A separate Russian overnight attack in Zaporizhzhia also damaged a residential building, while a daylight strike on a warehouse caused a large fire, according to regional authorities.

Russia Also Targets Ukrainian Ports

The escalation is not limited to bridges and urban infrastructure. Russian forces have continued striking Ukraine's Black Sea ports and logistics infrastructure.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces targeted sites in the Odesa region, including an ammunition depot and port infrastructure. Ukrainian authorities also reported that a Russian drone strike hit a cargo ship flying the Marshall Islands flag in the Black Sea, killing one person and injuring seven others.

The latest attacks come as both sides intensify long-range strikes ahead of the winter season, with Moscow seeking to damage Ukraine's transport, energy and port infrastructure while Kyiv continues targeting Russia's energy sector and other facilities considered important to Moscow's war effort.

The escalation has increased pressure on both countries' air-defense systems and raised concerns over the potential for further attacks on critical infrastructure as the war enters another winter.